Almost every coach I know points to two factors when asked about parity and this topsy-turvy season in college football: the 85 scholarship limit and spread offenses.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel concurs with those two but also offers another explanation that I found quite interesting.

“Early recruiting commitments might, in some respects, help some programs,’’ Pinkel said to reporters on the weekly Big 12 teleconference. “And I think it can hurt some other programs.

“If you don’t evaluate (prospects) right and you get early commitments, then you’re in trouble – I don’t care if you’re the No. 1 team in the nation of the 50th team in the nation. I don’t know if evaluation is as good as it used to be.

“In the old days, we didn’t start official visits until January,’’ Pinkel added. “You could do really great evaluations on kids – not only on a physical standpoint and an academic standpoint, but as far as the character of the player, the work ethic and all those things you want.’’

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Trivia question: Colorado has scored in 230 consecutive football games. Where does that rank among major college programs?
Answer below.

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There can be a fine line between being cocky and confident, but I always love to see freshmen who are confident.

CU offensive line coach Jeff Grimes told me a story about how upset true-freshman lineman Kai Maiava became when he learned that the starting lineup for the opener against Colorado State did not include his name.

“He was mad,’’ Grimes recalled. “I told Kai to just use that as fuel for the fire.’’

Maiava told Grimes that he would be the first of the eight rookie offensive lineman to start.

Those were strong words coming from the last player offered a scholarship in Colorado’s 2007 recruiting class.

“But Kai was right,’’ Grimes said.

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Someday on a trek to high country you might run into Kansas running back Jake Sharp have to listen to him brag about the Jayhawks’ 2007 win in Boulder. According to the KU media guide, Sharp career goals include owning a fly shop in the Rocky Mountains.

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Speaking of Kansas football, one reason for the resurgence could be an impressive staff of assistant coaches hired by head coach Mark Mangino.

Defensive coordinator Bill Young previously held those duties at Ohio State (1988-95), Oklahoma (1995-96) and Southern Cal (1997-00). Linebackers coach Steve Tovar is a former Big Ten defensive player of the year (at Ohio State) and played eight seasons in the NFL.

Cornerbacks coach Je’Ney Jackson played on successful Wyoming teams in the 1990s. Offensive coordinator Ed Warinner and offensive line coach John Reagan both coached the offensive line at Air Force under Fisher DeBerry.

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In three decades of covering college athletics I don’t recall ever seeing a conference preseason basketball poll, either by media or coaches, that gave first-place votes to more than half of the league members.

The recently released Mountain West Conference preseason men’s hoops poll changed that. Brigham Young (12), UNLV (2), Utah (2), New Mexico (2) and San Diego State (1) each drew first-place votes in the nine-team league.

Should be a wild conference race. Big 12 men’s basketball isn’t expected to be nearly as balanced with Kansas a prohibitive favorite.

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Trivia answer: Having not been shut out since a 7-0 squeaker at Nebraska in 1988, Colorado’s streak is the fifth-longest active streak and 11th-longest all-time.